Falling for the Grinch ✔️

Five | Elf

Rhett

She's annoyed.

I love it.

Watching her ivory cheeks turn light pink is a new favorite of mine. I didn't think I would enjoy the sight of seeing her almost lose her shit, but here I am... smirking across the dinner table from her.

"What's so funny?" She mutters through clenched teeth.

Honestly, I wasn't thrilled that I would be attending the evening with them, but when I stepped into the kitchen my mood shifted toward Holly. She was sitting in her exact spot across from me, wearing a different shirt than earlier and no purple beanie around her head. Those blonde locks grab my attention. The way they drape against her shoulders in waves.

I didn't mean to ogle, but I can't deny how attractive she is. Those damn lips are now painted in a shade of pink, almost fuchsia, which draws my attention back to her eyes. Blue, vibrant eyes. Fuck, I'm staring too long. I turn in my seat and face Richard, who starts our conversation about football.

When I first met him, he told me he was a huge Rams fan. Deacon Jones is a legend and when Holly's dad professed his love I knew we would get along great. He doesn't know this, but I've been looking for tickets to give him as a thank-you for all the help he's given me at the construction site.

As the night drifted, Renee changed the subject by asking me a question about fucking Christmas. I understand we're in the month of December, but there are plenty of other things to talk about... like her daughter literally moaning across the table from me as she put an egg roll in her mouth.

The little sound went straight to my cock and before I realized it, I was choking on my drink.

She's staring at me impatiently before I reply. "The name suits you." If I'm not mistaken, her eye just fucking twitched at me. I doubt she's winking from how infuriated I just made her.

"What's so bad about that?"

"I didn't say anything was wrong with it."

Her tongue slides across her bottom lip to wet her mouth and I'm having a hard time looking away. She watches the way my eyes dilate at the sight before quickly taking another sip of her glass.

"Sweetheart," her mother gladly interrupts the tension in the air. "Do you mind helping me bring out dessert?"

The two of them leave the room and as soon as it's just Richard and I, he leans in closer and whispers, "You know how to get under my daughters' skin." Before I can open my mouth to apologize or scratch that, think of something better to say, he beats me to it. "Keep doing it."

I almost laugh. "Why?"

He shrugs his shoulders, stabbing his chicken with his fork. "I haven't seen this side of her in a long time. It's always about work with her, never anything outside of it and I love seeing her slip out from her comfort shell every once in a while," He glances my way and smiles. "You do a great job."

I'm rubbing the scruff on my chin. "Well, it's definitely easy I will say that."

I want to ask more about her work and what he meant by her comfort shell, but I leave it alone. I'm not here to get to know his daughter. I'm here for Richard and Renee. To eat their food, get along with him, and leave. It probably makes me sound like a shitty person, but I'm just exhausted and don't feel like entertaining Holly anymore.

Even though I'm having so much fun doing it.

The two of them step back into the kitchen with dishes in their hands. When Holly sets a cake in the middle of the table my entire body freezes. She notices my movement the second she sits back down across from me. With a worried expression Holly asks, "Everything alright?"